I want to also reccommend, as someone else did, to take a look at Native
Instruments' Reaktor series. Transformator does granular-based sampling in
addition to "traditional" sampling and Generator is an analog modelling synth
that also covers FM, and additive synthesis. Reaktor is the combination of
the two. Not to mention, both allow you to process internal and external
audio in almost any way imaginable and all the DSP is 32 bit for both effects
and synth/samplers. Internal sample rate goes up to 132k. ASIO 2 and VST 2
support is due Nov. 1st but it's not "set in stone" --- I use Reaktor
everyday and I find it inspiring and also a powerful utility that can
"replace" to some extent, much more expensive and less intuitive hardware...
Besides, Reaktor is modular, in the sense that you can "build" your own
unique synths, samplers and effect...
phew, I should have just provided the link first so I wouldn't have gone off
like that:
http://www.native-instruments.com
matt